Why do you see a film?

I know it sounds like a strange question – I can almost hear everyone say, of course we know why we watch films.

But the reason I’m asking is this: I have many friends who say they watch films for entertainment. They want to laugh. They want to come out of the theatre feeling good. They want to see drama, action, comedy, romance, spectacle, glamour.

They don’t want to see films that are sad, depressing, heavy, disturbing, violent, gory.

Their view is that there’s enough stress in their lives, that newspapers and TV news channels are anyway full of depressing, disquieting reports and stories; so when they go to see a movie, they want to relax/have a good time. They don’t want to come out feeling even more depressed.

I think that’s fair. I remember a story in Brunch on how to beat the blues and a well known psychiatrist suggested – in all seriousness – that watching Govinda comedies was a great way to feel smiley-smiley again. (So never knock Govinda films!)

But what about films that are dark, depressing, unsettling – but really good? Wouldn’t it be a pity not to see such films?

The answer has to be yes. But watching them is not easy. To give just two personal examples (though of course there are many, many more). When I saw Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, the film just blew my mind. But I found it profoundly disturbing and I don’t think I can ever see it again. Just remembering those scenes of the boat going down the river, coming closer and closer to Kurtz’s insane jungle kingdom, gives me an eerie feeling.

I resisted seeing Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par for the longest time because I thought it would be a weepy-weepy film and I don’t like movies where you end up crying all the time. When I finally did see it, I loved it. Yes, I did feel tearful (how can you not?) at some points in the film, but because it’s quite an optimistic, positive film, I didn’t leave the hall feeling heavy-hearted.

Much of it, I guess, also depends on your mood.

Sometimes you just want to have fun. You don’t want to see anything that will tax your emotions or your mind.

Sometimes you know you’re going to see a powerful film and you’re prepared for it.

Sometimes you go in not knowing what the film will be like and it socks you between the eyes. You come out, unsettled and uncomfortable, but glad that you saw it.

Sometimes you’re reluctant to see a film because it doesn’t sound like the kind of movie you enjoy. But when you see it, you end up liking it. Or vice versa.

I’m squeamish about films with graphic violence. And I’m not wild about films which make you cry a lot. I try and avoid both. But I seldom succeed. I always end up watching them.

That’s because I really, really like watching movies. Film as entertainment, film as timepass, film as art, film as social comment – I’m happy to see all of them (my first love of course remains Hindi films). I’m okay with bad movies too – I’ll crib endlessly afterwards, but I’ll still see them.

But not everyone is a lunatic like me. Most people – like the friends I mentioned – see films only for entertainment. And I can see their point totally.

But are they missing out on something?

9 Energy Boosters

Feeling sluggish? A few simple tricks can help you feel more awake.

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Trying Something New

Recent research confirms what world travelers and adult-education addicts already know: New experiences give you a rush. “We’ve known that when people do something novel, the brain’s reward chemical, dopamine, is released,” says Gregory Berns, M.D., a neuroscientist at Emory University, in Atlanta, and the author of Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment ($24, amazon.com). But novelty has an added benefit. “What we’ve discovered in the last five years,” Berns says, “is that dopamine is also a motivating chemical that gears us up to do more.” In other words, take a trip or learn Spanish and you may also feel inspired to start a new project at home or work.

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Moving Around

The more active you are, the better your circulation will be. And good circulation is “essential for energy because blood transports oxygen and nutrients―fuel for the cells―to the muscles, brain, etc.,” says internist Jacob Teitelbaum.

If you have a desk job, get up throughout the day―once an hour is ideal―to give your body breaks from activities such as typing and staring at the computer. Also, stand up when you’re on the phone or pace around the office. When you’re stuck seated, like on a long car ride, do neck rolls and shoulder shrugs and circle your feet to keep blood circulating.

And sit up straight. Good posture opens the chest cavity and increases oxygen intake by as much as 30 percent, making more energy available to your mind and muscles, says Teitelbaum. If you’re a sloucher, trade in your chair for an exercise ball, which forces you to sit taller, says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging ($28, amazon.com).

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Deep Breathing

Shallow breathing prevents the body from getting enough oxygen. Many people fail to breathe deeply when they feel tense, which is one reason they may feel zapped at the end of a stress-filled day. “The general principles of correct breathing are to make it deeper, slower, quieter, and more regular,” says Weil. Doing so helps you force more oxygen into your cells, which slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation, ultimately providing more energy.

Weil suggests you do a simple breathing exercise twice a day or whenever you feel yourself losing steam: Put the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper teeth. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound. Then inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Repeat for a total of four breaths.

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Exercise

Regular workouts boost energy stores by conditioning the body to make optimal use of oxygen and glucose, its two primary fuel sources. You need only 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week, to get the cardiovascular benefits that lead to increased vitality,” says Woodson Merrell, M.D., director of integrative medicine at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing, at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

There’s good evidence that simply walking regularly can boost energy. Ongoing research on the relationship between mood and activity by Robert E. Thayer, a professor of psychology at California State University in Long Beach, has found that the more steps his research subjects take, the more energetic they report feeling.

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Grazing

"Eating consistently―three small meals with snacks in between―keeps your blood-sugar level even, so you don’t experience the highs and lows that occur when you go too long without food," says Molly Kimball, a registered dietitian at the Ochsner Clinic’s Elmwood Fitness Center, in New Orleans. Ideally, all your meals and snacks should contain complex carbohydrates (produce, whole grains) to provide fuel, and protein (nuts, cheese) to give you endurance. Try an apple and a piece of cheese or carrot sticks and edamame.

Snacks of refined carbs, like cookies and pretzels, provide an initial rush, but the body burns them quickly and your energy soon flags. To satiate a sweet tooth, try dark chocolate. It contains the chemical phenylethylamine, which increases energy by improving mood and attention span. According to Teitelbaum, dark chocolate also contains theobromine, a mild stimulant.

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Doing Things That Lift Your Spirits

Fun people, rhythmic music, and funny movies can boost your energy level, researchers have found. "In fact,anything that makes you feel good may raise your level of endorphins―the same chemicals that are released when you exercise," says Weil. Listening to music invigorates the body by activating several areas of the brain at once, building new nerve connections. "It also increases oxygen flow to the heart, which perks you up as well," adds Weil.

While you’re infusing your life with energizing experiences, try to cut out people and activities that drag you down and deplete your energy―the whiners, the naysayers…that deadly planning committee.

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Drinking Fluids

Your body needs water to transport oxygen to your cells. Deprive yourself of sufficient liquids and you may feel tired or get headaches. While there’s no magic number for the amount of liquid to consume in a day, experts say you should try to drink at least four tall glasses of water or low-calorie beverages, such as Propel or Crystal Light.

Caffeine gets a bad rap, but used judiciously, it can give you a lift. The trouble is “many people drink too much in the morning, so their energy is bunched up early in the day, and they need more later to keep going,” says Weil. Try to limit yourself to one cup of coffee in the morning and, if you must and it doesn’t interfere with falling asleep at night, a half cup after lunch. Consider switching to green tea, which contains caffeine but also theanine, a calming substance that counteracts the jitters from caffeine.

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Obsessing Less

When your mind is in overdrive, your body secretes stress hormones, such as cortisol, which over time can wreak havoc on the body. It can also make falling asleep difficult by suppressing the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for lowering body temperature so that you can shift into sleep mode. “Worrying is like putting a hole in your gas tank,” says Teitelbaum. “Unless you do something to stop it, you’re draining energy away.”

To rewire an overwrought mind, Merrell suggests doing some form of mind-body exercise, like meditation, practicing yoga, or engaging in regular prayer. For a quick fix, Teitelbaum suggests this trick: “Ask yourself, ‘Am I in imminent danger?’ It may sound irrational or melodramatic, but that’s the point. You bring yourself down to earth by reminding yourself that your worries aren’t crises. This will relax your body’s adrenal ‘fight or flight’ system and help you feel in control.”

Joy Gosney

Get an Energy Boost From Going Outside

At least once during the workday, get out of the office. Studies show that spending time outdoors provides a boost by reducing stress hormones and lowering blood pressure. "Sunlight can also increase the body’s production of serotonin, which lifts mood and increases energy," says Teitelbaum.

In addition, "air that contains a high balance of negative ions (molecules with a negative electrical charge) may increase the body’s oxygen intake and serotonin levels," says Michael Terman, Ph.D., director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at New York–Presbyterian Hospital. Negative ions are produced when there’s a lot of air and water movement in the atmosphere, like during a thunderstorm. Terman has found that when people with seasonal affective disorder (a mood disorder associated with seasonal variations of light) and depression use specialized negative-ion generators, their symptoms improve.

Wake up, lovers

I am so delighted that Wake Up Sid has got such glowing reviews. Everyone has – very rightly – exclaimed over the fact that the director is so young and the performances so good. The music has come in for a lot of praise too, as has the very fresh, young feel of the film.

It’s also been hailed as one of the best coming of age films we’ve seen in recent years. And I agree with all these sentiments. But what struck me most of all when I saw the film was this: I kept thinking how wonderful it was to see a film where the relationship between the lead pair was played out so naturally, with such nice nuances.

For the longest time, we’ve had the ‘hero’ and the ‘heroine’ falling in love at first sight and talking about janam janam ka saath, or the gareeb hero taming the spoilt and shrewish rich heroine, or the two of them falling prey to the most idiotic misunderstandings or fighting a zaalim zamana opposed to their pavitra rishta etc etc. Very rarely did we get to see a film where the love story was, well, like love stories usually are.

In Wake Up Sid, I liked the way Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen meet, then go on to become unlikely friends, and eventually discover they’re in love with each other. The tension, the irritation with each other, the sudden flare-ups, the moments of fun and togetherness: everything was handled so delicately. Sid and Aisha’s relationship is based on the kind of people they are and not on extraneous factors like parental opposition or societal disapproval.

I’m not suggesting that you can’t have a love story where the lovers are shown dealing with all these things, but (a) we’ve seen them in our films for years and years and (b) if it has to be shown, it must be depicted in a fresh way (not with those cliched scenes of girls being thrown into their rooms with the father thundering, “Aaj se tumhara bahar jaana band!” (I’m sure there are fathers who do this even today, but you have to find less hackneyed ways of showing it).

There have been a few other films too where the lead pair’s love story has been depicted in an interesting way. Take Luck By Chance. Farhan Akhtar and Konkona’s story was told very well – and intriguingly, without the customary happily-ever-after ending. Or Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. I liked Imran Khan and Genelia’s friends-turn-lovers tale.

So is it finally goodbye to those cardboard love stories? And a big hello to more nuanced prem kahaanis?

I hope so!

What’s happened to Ram Gopal Varma?

I’m not courageous – or foolhardy enough – to go and see Ram Gopal Varma’s Agyaat. But friends whose judgment I trust totally have told me that it’s one of the worst movies they have ever seen. That’s what most people felt about Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag as well. And no, I didn’t see that film either (I love Sholay too much and the Aag trailers themselves were so dreadful I shuddered to think what the full film would be like).

What’s happened?

I mean, this is the same filmmaker who made wonderful movies like Satya, Rangeela and Company. Even Sarkar was good. So why is he making such godawful films these days? Even more puzzling, he doesn’t seem to think he’s making bad films. Whenever I go through his interviews, all he seems to be saying is that the media is against him, the media keeps criticizing him, the media is after him, the media is biased against him etc etc. There’s never even the faintest acknowledgment that he could be losing his touch.

So, once again – what’s happened?

My theory? Hubris.

When RGV made those superb films, the media (yes, the same media that, according to him, hates him) praised him to the skies and hailed him as an exciting, gifted young director. So much was made of Ram Gopal Varma’s talent that it seems to have gone to his head. I think he actually began believing in all the hype surrounding him. Maybe he really began thinking of himself as some sort of genius/ highly evolved guru who would mentor dozens of aspiring filmmakers/ super-talented director everyone in the industry was dying to work with.

Once you start thinking of yourself in the third person (if you know what I mean), then you lose the ability or the humility to see that you can make mistakes.

Of course I may be completely wrong. Maybe the media is biased against him and he’s actually making great movies. But somehow I don’t think that’s true. Everybody can’t be wrong.

There’s another theory (which many people I know subscribe to) and that is: even the best directors, even the most talented directors (and actors, music composers etc etc), run out of steam at some point. The creative juices simply dry up. Then they either keep repeating themselves or become caricatures of themselves.

I can think of a lot of people to whom this happened (Rajesh Khanna, for instance), but I still find it a sad and depressing theory. Because it means that it’s all over for the person concerned. There’s no second chance. There’s no hope.

I certainly hope that Ram Gopal Varma will still astound us with a fabulous film one day. I’m waiting. But till then, if he could stop making the Agyaats and Aags, please.

The Kaminey Confusion

This post is really for those who’ve seen Kaminey. If you haven’t, please do go and see it and then read the blog (it’ll make more sense then!). I caught the film over the weekend, and was disappointed to see the half-empty hall because I liked the film so much. Though the reviews have been uniformly positive, I got mixed feedback on the film from friends. Some loved it unconditionally, others found it confusing.

As far as I’m concerned, Kaminey passed my first and single most important test with flying colours, i.e., was it boring? (No. On the contrary, I was fully engrossed).

I’m trying to figure out why some viewers found it confusing. Is it because Vishal Bhardwaj didn’t explain everything clearly – the way most Hindi films do? For example, the scene in the hotel in the first half (which ends with Shahid Kapur escaping in a police jeep). You don’t know immediately that the two men in that hotel room are anti-narcotic cops. You figure that out a little later. You don’t know who Tashi is when he appears on the screen. You find out a little later. Could that be a problem for some viewers? (Frankly, it shouldn’t be, but if you’ve got used to having everything explained to you, maybe it’s a bit unsettling).

Is it because so many scenes in the film are shot in low light? In Bollywood films, everything is usually clearly and brightly lit (in fact, one of the things I loved about Om Shanti Om was the glamorous lighting, and the almost blinding colours, particularly in the song-and-dance sequences). But Kaminey’s dimly-lit scenes are totally in sync with the grey-wet-overcast-monsoon look and feel of the film, the decaying urban backdrops.

Is it because people felt cheated that they never saw Shahid Kapur – absolutely the best dancer in Bollywood (even better than Hrithik Roshan; Hrithik is technically awesome, but when Shahid dances, you can feel the music in him) – dance in the film? Yes, I know there’s the Fatak song but Kaminey’s big number is Dhan Te Na (what a song!!). And when it comes on screen, you can’t make out much because of the constantly moving camera and the shifting psychedelic colours. So yes, maybe some viewers were disappointed, but Vishal clearly wanted that kind of surreal effect in Dhan Te Na.

Is it because Vishal’s story-telling style is so different in this film?

Or is it just because Kaminey is different, period? Sometimes it’s not easy to warm up to something you’re not used to or familiar with.

Whatever the reason, it would be a pity if the film doesn’t have a healthy run at the box office. It’s not as if Bollywood is churning out hundreds of fabulous films (I’m still in a state of shock after Kambakht Ishq). Ideally, good films should do good business. What a pity it doesn’t always work that way!

How to Find Anything on the Internet

The internet can be an extremely useful tool to find information on a number of topics but the internet can also be a confusing place. This website is designed to help the non-tech savvy use the internet and find what they are looking for. This is a simple three step process:

1) Go to this website

2)Type in the topic you are researching.

3)Scroll through the pages until you find what you are looking for.

Good luck and happy internet using!

Free is not a business model. By Stephen Sammartino

Firstly - I’ll start by saying I think Chris Anderson is an incredibly clever guy. I thought his book ‘The Long Tail’ was and is the future of business.

But when it comes to ‘free’ he has got it wrong this time. As has Seth Godin and all the other ‘free’ converts.

As Malcolm Gladwell correctly points out, they are forgetting many of the fundamentals in business, by getting caught up in the stale newspaper argument, which in the new digital economy is easy, soft and will disappear.

The irony of this ‘newspaper’ argument is certainly lost in the broader economy. The non-digital economies are a lot bigger than newspapers and other beleaguered digital industries.

So why is ‘Free’ not a business model?

Quite simply, any business without a revenue-generation model won’t exist over time. We only need look at the dot-com bust of the late 1990s to see this reality.

It’s also much too easy to get caught up in the success of Google and others who ’started free’ to build demand.

But many of the subsequent ‘Free’ offers - like YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr - are considered successful for the owners only because they sold to a business with a large chequebook - not because the business itself was financially successful.

The Google business model is not too dissimilar to that of Network TV - generate eyeballs, sell advertising. Nothing new here.

The real question in the so-called ‘Freeconomy‘ is how many businesses can be supported by the advertising sales model? Why the idea of ‘Free’ is being touted as new is beyond me.

Here’s what ‘Free’ really is: it’s part of the marketing mix.

It’s the 4th P: Promotion.

It always has been and always will be.

Anything a company gives away for free is a promotional tool to sell something. If these businesses who use the so called ‘free model’ fail to sell something, there are only two options for them as time passes:

1. Go broke and run out of cash
2. Get bought by large company who values what they have created, albeit ‘non-financial’

Whether it be Proctor & Gamble giving free shampoo in letter boxes in 1957 or Google giving free search and maps in 2009, it’s part of the mix to attract potential customers, who will be converted into ongoing revenue. It isn’t free.

Free is not a business model. Moreover, it’s sampling and promotion for associated revenue-generating activities. So to call it the future of business as ‘free’ is absolute folly.

Sure Anderson can argue that digital stuff is becoming so cheap it may as well be free - as per the transistor example he uses. But the thing that really costs money is building demand and infrastructure - the kind of stuff that’s really expensive.

The other point to consider is that just because some things that previously cost money (i.e. newspapers) are now available free online, doesn’t mean everything is heading down the free path.

Rather, it means that certain industries are dying - not that ‘paying’ will be a thing of the past. In fact, there are just as many examples of items that were once free and are now being charged for: education, toll roads, water, seeds.

The advice I’m giving here is simple.

No business can survive without revenue. Free, isn’t free, but a promotional expense, the fourth ‘P’. If your industry is getting flooded with free, it’s on its deathbed - look elsewhere. Industries die all the time when the revenue dries up, just like those trying to cope with the current digital conversion. Don’t assume you can build something awesome and give it away, relying on your ability to sell it (the business) or something associated later. Chances are you’ll run out of money before that.

The future of business isn’t free, and the idea isn’t new. It’s part of a complex marketing mix. And if you want to own a start-up to thrive, my advice is simple: have a price that isn’t all zeros.